Bahraini authorities, with the collaboration of Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states, have carried out mass repression since the middle of March, detaining thousands of opponents and critics, beating and torturing many. According to human rights activists in Bahrain, there are two political prisoners for every one thousand citizens. Four such prisoners have died in custody, with obvious signs of abuse on their corpses. Several dozen are simply reported as missing.

On Monday, the day before the crown prince met with Obama in the Oval Office, 47 Bahraini doctors and nurses were charged by a special military court with attempting to overthrow the country’s monarchy. They face years in prison. The 23 doctors and 24 nurses have been detained since March. Their real crime is that they witnessed and, in some cases, documented the horrific brutality meted out against protesters in the enormous demonstrations that erupted in Bahrain in February.

The cynical hypocrisy of Obama’s chatting with a representative of the Bahraini royal family, even as he issues pronouncements in favor of the “Arab Spring” and wages war on the Gaddafi regime in Libya, put the White House in something of a bind. The administration found its usual cowardly and unprincipled solution to the problem. It held a meeting that was officially not a meeting.

Bahrain: Targeting Cyber Activist to prevent the broadcasting of news and information: here.

Bahrain FM alleges only 400 out of originally 1,100 still detained. Doesn’t mention 100s released but on military trials: here.